Dahlia plant named ‘Melody Harmony’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘Melody Harmony’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark-colored foliage; freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescence form; large inflorescences with light purple-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Melody Harmony’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Melody Harmony’.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lisse, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact container-type Dahlia cultivars that have a freely branching growth habit, early and freely flowering habit, daisy inflorescence form, attractive ray floret coloration, and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

The new Dahlia originated from a cross-pollination in Lisse, The Netherlands in 2000, of a proprietary selection of Dahlia hybrida identified as code number VP 61, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Dahlia hybrida cultivar Silver Years, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer of 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings since the spring of 2002 in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Melody Harmony has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Melody Harmony’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Melody Harmony’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia:

-   -   1. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark-colored foliage.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Decorative-type inflorescence form.     -   6. Large inflorescences with light purple-colored ray florets.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parents, the female selection and the cultivar Silver Years, plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily in leaf coloration, ray floret coloration and plant size.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahlia cultivar Melody Dixie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,911. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Melody Dixie in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia were larger than plants of the         cultivar Melody Dixie.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely branching and         bushier than plants of the cultivar Melody Dixie.     -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia and the cultivar Melody Dixie         differed in leaf coloration.     -   4. Plants of the new Dahlia had larger inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Melody Dixie.     -   5. Ray florets of plants of the new Dahlia were light purple in         color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Melody Dixie         were dark purple in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Dahlia. The photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dahlia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Melody Harmony’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Dahlia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C. Plants were pinched one time about three to four weeks after planting. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about four months old when the photograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida cultivar Melody Harmony. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Dahlia             hybrida identified as code number VP 61, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Dahlia hybrida cultivar Silver             Years, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 27 days             at temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to fleshy; tuber development has not             been observed.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright to somewhat outwardly             spreading; mounded plant form. Freely basal branching with             about four lateral branches each with about three to four             secondary branches. Inflorescences held above the foliage on             strong peduncles; bushy and dense. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—about 65 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 50 cm. Diameter: Towards the             base, about 1.2 cm; towards the apex, about 3 mm. Internode             length: about 2 cm to 13 cm. Aspect: Erect to somewhat             outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 187A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves opposite; leaves may be single or             compound with three or five leaflets.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate and divided; sinuses divergent.         -   Length.—Single leaves: About 8 cm. Compound leaves with             three leaflets: About 14 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 22 cm.         -   Width.—Single leaves: About 2 cm. Compound leaves with three             leaflets: About 9 cm. Compound leaves with five leaflets:             About 14 cm.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 139A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: Close to 148B. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 139A tinted heavily with between             187A and 200A; venation, 187A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 148B; venation, 183A.         -   Petiole length.—Single leaves: About 5 mm. Compound leaves             with three leaflets: About 2 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 6 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—Single leaves: About 4 mm. Compound leaves             with three leaflets: About 4 mm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 4 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—187A.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—183A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Inflorescences face upright to slightly             outwardly. Freely flowering habit; about 25 inflorescences             develop per plant. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences             not fragrant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously during the summer             and autumn in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about 20 days on the plant and for about five             days as a cut flower.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1.9 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 187A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 14 cm. Depth (height):             About 5 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle height:             About 1.1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 2 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape:             Ovate. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Aspect: Initially             upright to roughly perpendicular to the peduncle to             reflexed; mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 150 arranged in about twelve whorls.             Color: When opening, upper surface: 69A; mid-section, 77B.             When opening, lower surface: 69C; mid-section, 72B. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Between 69A and 69B; along             longitudinal ribs and towards the apex, 77B. Color becoming             closer to 69C with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, apex dentate. Length: About             1.5 cm. Diameter, apex: About 3 mm. Diameter, base: About             1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About ten.             Color: Immature: Towards the apex, 23B; towards the base,             1C. Mature: Apex: 21A. Mid-section: 6A. Base: 1C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About eight arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 1 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.             Color, upper surface: 138A tinted with 183A. Color, lower             surface: 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: Terminal peduncle: About 20 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 18 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 9 cm.             Diameter: About 6 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to             about 10° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             Five. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: About 3 mm.             Anther color: 17B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 17A.             Gynoecium: Quantity per ray or disc floret: One. Pistil             length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color:             13A. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: 1C. Ovary color:             9C. Seeds: Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dahlia have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘Melody Harmony’ as illustrated and described. 